# Who is the best Los Angeles Lakers coach of all time?

> From Showtime-era swagger to bubble-era grit, these sidelines have seen wildly different styles of winning. Where do you stand?

*By YPB Team · Published July 23, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-best-los-angeles-lakers-coach-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Phil Jackson** — score 1000/1000
   Led the Lakers to five NBA championships and holds the franchise records for wins and playoff victories.
2. **John Kundla** — score 877/1000
   Guided the Minneapolis Lakers to five championships in the 1950s alongside George Mikan.
3. **Darvin Ham** — score 877/1000
   Led the Lakers to the 2023 Western Conference Finals in his first season as head coach.
4. **Pat Riley** — score 771/1000
   Coached the Showtime-era Lakers to four championships in the 1980s with his defense-first, star-driven system.
5. **Del Harris** — score 600/1000
   Head coach through the mid-1990s who helped rebuild the Lakers into a playoff contender before the Shaq-Kobe era.
6. **Byron Scott** — score 600/1000
   Former Lakers championship guard who returned to coach the team from 2014 to 2016.
7. **JJ Redick** — score 491/1000
   Former NBA sharpshooter who became Lakers head coach in 2024, leading the team in the LeBron-to-Doncic transition era.
8. **Bill Sharman** — score 491/1000
   Led the Lakers to a record 33-game winning streak and the franchise's first Los Angeles championship in 1972.
9. **Paul Westhead** — score 491/1000
   Won the 1980 NBA championship as a rookie head coach with a young Magic Johnson.
10. **Fred Schaus** — score 360/1000
   Coached the Jerry West and Elgin Baylor-era Lakers to multiple NBA Finals appearances in the 1960s.
11. **Mike D'Antoni** — score 360/1000
   Brought his up-tempo, high-scoring offensive system to the Lakers from 2012 to 2014.
12. **Frank Vogel** — score 200/1000
   Coached the Lakers to the 2020 NBA championship in the Orlando bubble alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
13. **Mike Brown** — score 200/1000
   Coached the Lakers from 2011 to 2012 during the tail end of the Kobe Bryant era.

Tags: basketball, nba, coaches, los angeles lakers